Closure



Mal'ch 1. 1943- J. G. BRINK 2,437,934

CLOSURE v Filed April 14, 1945 Patented Mar. 16, 1948 UNITED sTArEsPATENT on-ice 29137934 oLosuitii John G. Brink, E vanst n, assignur "tait'ahri McNaIly & Company, a corporation ii! illinfiis Application April'14, 1945, serial in. mm

(01. eas -tr) 2 claims.

This invention relates to closure means, and more particularly, althoughnot limited thereto, means for releasably securing together theeov'erportions of memorandum or documentjackets, and the cover portions ofjackets, envelopes or other flexible containers adapted for containingblank papers, papers having printed'orn'iemorandum information thereon,maps, and papers for other articles of any character "adapted to becontained either bound or loose in such jacket or container. I wish itunderstood that "this esure or fastening means is not limited in use toflat jackets or containers, but is adaptable to any other shape ofcontainer in which thereare present a pair of overlapping, flexibleportions that 'may be attached together'with'the closure means of thepresent invention. I

Prior to my invention there has ben'greatneed for a closure means forjackets, "containers and the like, in which the closing 'cove'rinalybequickly and'securely fastened in closed positionwithout the needofseparate snap fasteners, "buckles,

economical to manufacture, efiicient in operation :and pleasing inappearance.

Another object is to make suchelosure mean integral with the overlappingcover parts, and of a nature to be easily and effectively operated;

a further feature being to eliminate the use of separate parts, andprovide the -fas'tening means of the present invention-by merely makingslits and/0r slots in the material of the overlapping cover parts andinterengaging some of the slitted or slotted portions thus-formed; 'astill further object being to provide a closure means of the kindreferred to in which thereare no projectingparts to become injured, orpatch inn/persons pocket or the like; an additional feature being theability to quickly unfasten the clqsure by merely pressing inwardly onthe longitudinal side edges of the jacket, container or the like, andthen pressing laterally at the inner edge of the slitted portion andallowing the respective parts to separate by releasing the pressure onthe side edges; and such further objects, features, advantages and.capabilities inherently possessed by my invention, as will later morefully appear.

My invention further resides in the combination, construction andarrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and whileI have shown therein preferred embodiments, I

tapes, strings and the like, and "yet be readily 2 wish it understand"that the same are susceptible of modification and change withoutdeparting fromthe 'spiritofmy invention.

Inthe drawings Fig. '1 is "a "plan view a container jacket with the'eoverfibaekand flap laid "out flat and-showingpaper'sheets Iyirigbiertheback, V l

"2 is a plain "view (if the jacket of Fig. 1 with thefflap and cover inclosed position and fastened together "by a 'cldsure fastenerembodying'fir'iyiiivention.

insists afnenlar'gedtransverse section on the line 3 ofFfgi. I

Fig. 4i's a'pl'anwiw'lif a closed jacket in Which the same parts areclosed "in 'a slightly different maimer to'g'ive awards closure."

l fig'. 5 is "a section on theili'ne '5'"5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. fifis a rra'gmentaryplan View of a portion cra e bfthe fla s "sho'Winga straight slot.

"Referringmore' indet'ail tothe drawings I have, ror illustrative"purposes only, shown my invention asaprilie'd to'a memorandum ordocument jacket pr folder comprising a back I to theiongitudinalside'edges of'which "are swingably connefctedtwbfnnnt naps"covers: and '3, which, while one is shown "wider than the other, may pidr anyfdesireu width'srelativelytoeach other. F'Iap I formed. 2.Suitable *uistance inwardly of it'sfiufr'loiigitiidirial "edgdwith'acontoured slit '4 eiitendine entirety through "the material of thefiain'aiid comprising 's'id'e slitsi and-6 Which'cohtinue into thecurved end slits 1, "B -and J9. As will'be'senfin ,1 "these slits arecontinuous with each bthr and form an i'nner tongue I'D a a an blite'rtongue l'l. "Tongue 10 has two outwardly siteaqingportions T2 and I 3,and due tothes'lits extending eht'irly through the thickness dfEthefiap'may be fiexed inwardly or outwardiy "of the plane :or the flapbyJpressure of tfifiiff6ffiiiihgdf th'e'flap.

nap 3 Qfoi nied inwardlymf its lon itudinal edge, a; slot l4, having onits outer side (when laidfoiit 'fiat) an enlargement f 5 (seeF-ig. L1).Slotf4 is so positioned in flap 3 as to be in lateral alinement withtongue ll of flap 2, So that when flap 2 is lapped over flap 3, tonguell may be inserted through slot l4 (see Fig. 3), Tongue is integrallyconnected with flap 2 by means of the connecting strip "5. As seen inFig. 3, the flaps 2 and 3 are swingably connected to the back I at H andI8 respectively, by folds in the flexible material, however I wish itunderstood that other forms of hinge means may be used as desired. Thisenables flaps 2 and 3 to be swun inwardly into overlapping position toclose the proaching said position the tongue I will be flexed slightlyinwardly by the fingers of the operator (unless it already stands atsuch in ward angle as it may do "after continueduse) and the free edge20 of the fiap'3 will be passed underneath the edge of flap 2 and abovethe tongue I0 so as to be therebetween when the 4 to effect the swingingmovements of the flaps with relation to the back if desired,

Also if a quick closure fastener is desired. the same may be manipulatedby ignoring the tongue I 0, permitting it to remain above the flap 3,and bringing the free end of tongue I I into registry with the slot, andpressing inwardly on tongue II and releasing the pressure on the edgesof the jacket or folder and permitting tongue II to pass into the slotI4 and underneath the strip 2|, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This gives aclosure that, while not so secure, is quickly operated, and will suificefor temporary purposes.

' 'For a secure and more dependable closure I pretwo flaps are inapproximately parallel planes;

With the flaps closed approximately parallel position, the fingers ofthe operator will then be pressed inwardly on the hinge edges l1 and I8to flex the back I of the jacket outwardly (preferably with the thumbon'one edge and the fingers on the other) which will cause the'free endof tongue II to move above the slot I4, after which 'a slightinwardpre'ssure on this tongue and a simultaneous releasing of thepressure ,on the hinge edges I1 and I8 will cause the tongue II to enterthe slot I4 and pass underneath the strip 2| formed integrally with flap3, due to the tendency of the fiexedback tostraighten'out.

To open this closure and release the flaps for opening of the jacket,the fingers'of the operator are again pressed against the edges I1 andI8 to move'tongue II ba'ckwardly out of'the slot I4, when a slightinward pressure of the finger against the exposed strip I6 will pressthis strip inwardly beyond the plane of the tongue, and release of thepressure on the edges of the jacket will slide the tongue over the topof the strip, and the flaps may then be swung to open position. A littlepractice will enable the operator to become quite skillful in performingthe above operations. When the flaps are closed and fastened the tongueII will be positioned in the recess in tongue I0 formed bythe portion 9of the slit. The enlarged portion I5 of slot I4 fa cilitates entrythereinto of the larger curved base portion of the tongue II, withoutcausing too abrupt a bend in this tongue when the flaps are fastenedshut. I f

As seen in Fig. 2, when the flaps are closed and fastened in the mannerdescribed above, the edge of flap 3 will be visible in the openingformed by the tongue I0 being underneath the strip 2I. In Fig. 3 theouter edge of the strip I6 of flap 2 is indicated at 22. The flaps andthe back may be made of heavy paper, light cardboard, plastics, thinmetal, thin tough flexible wood (with separate hinges fastened thereto),fabric, accreted fibers, leather, or any other suitable flexiblematerial available, it being understood that separate hinges may beapplied fer the form shown in Figs. 1-3.

While the lateral enlargement of the slot I4 asat I5, is preferred, asimple straight slot I4 as shown in Fig. 6 may be used if desired, a1-thoughthis form will give a more abrupt bend in the tongue II whenfastened in position.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A closure for containers and the like, comprising a body portion; afirst flap hingedly mounted on said portion and being made of flexiblematerial and having a substantially W-shaped slit therein, said flapbeing continuous from the slit to the marginal edge opposite the hingedmounting and said slit forming on one side thereof a first tongue havingon its outer edge a notch, and forming on the other side thereof asecond tongue, and a second flap of flexible material hingedly mountedon said portion, said second flap having a substantially straightcontinuous marginal edge opposite its hinged mounting of a lengthgreater than the width of the slit, and said second flap having a slottherein spaced from its said marginal edge a distance less than thelength of said first tongue, said slot being adapted to receive saidsecond tongue, said flaps being movable between open and closedpositions, said second tongue extending into said notch when said flapsare in open position, and said second flap having its said marginal edgetraversing said first tongue when the flaps are in closed positionwhereby said first tongue may be inserted under said marginal edge ofthe second fiap and said second tongue may be inserted in said slot. 1

2. The closure claimed in claim 1 in which said marginal edge of saidsecond flap extends substantially the entire length of the container.

JOHN G. BRINK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 873,416 Davis Dec, 10, 19071,461,0l6 Perry July 3, 1923 1,476,822 Kronenberger Dec. 11, 19231,670,647 Alter May 22, 1928

